


Hunting in Darkness

by Lust_Demon



Category: Darkest Dungeon (Video Game), Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:09:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23370727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lust_Demon/pseuds/Lust_Demon
Summary: Lady Barbara Dulac has inherited a great deal from an old relative, and it's a good chance for her and her son to begin anew.  What she doesn't realize is that the gift that's being given might actually be a curse.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	Hunting in Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> Someone mentioned something on tumblr about an AU for Trollhunters where they were in the Darkest Dungeon so I decided to take a little spin on it. It's not rated just yet but I'm sure there's bound to be blood guts and gore (and some swearing, sorry). I'm not sure if there will be anything sexual but I'm thinking for now, if I do have anything like that I'll just end up putting it in as a sort of 'intermission' from all the dark and dreary stuff.

_ Ruin has come to our Family. Fallen from the graces of our peers, each year that has passed adds to the decay heaped upon our ancestral home. There have been mistakes made in plenty but I believe things are not beyond all repair. The foundations are strong, and our family has always had strength aplenty as well. What I offer you is generations of knowledge, a home that you and your son could have to start to build anew. There is much good that lies deep in the manse. The estate of Dulac waits for you, and I pray that you will not be discouraged by what you see there. You are the last of our line. I beg you, return home, claim this birthright and you will see it shine when you reach the inner depths. _

Barbara folded the note after reading it for what had to have been the hundredth time, tucking it back into her purse and looking over at her young son. James had fallen asleep as the carriage rolled along the bumpy road and he looked as sweet and innocent as if he was only half his age. His sleep lately had been plagued with nightmares so she was glad to see that right now he was unbothered by demons and darkness. Reaching out a hand, she lightly stroked through his dark tresses and smiled when he shifted to feel the warmth of her palm even in his sleep. She had received this letter, along with a deed to the Dulac estate just a few weeks ago and she had spent days wringing her hands, wondering if it would even be worth it to move. As much as she disliked the thought, she knew that moving could only be better for them. When her husband left her she had tried her best to stay strong. She worked so that James could have a better life, but she couldn’t deny that her work chafed at her.

She had just as much knowledge as any member of the apothecary guild, but because she was a woman she could never hold the higher positions. Because her husband had left her, she had been given some amount of pity but never the chance to be more than an assistant. Even this letter that was given to her was something being held in trust until James came of age. Taking a breath, she looked up at the roof of the carriage and pressed her palms together. This was a chance at something better. An entirely new area where no one knew her. She could put on a strong face and show them her talents and they would be forced to acknowledge her. 

The carriage rolled over a bump in the road and she winced at the way it jostled her spine. Maybe she shouldn’t have worn her corset for the trip, but she wanted to make an impression when she arrived at this new estate. From what she saw of the deed it wasn’t just the manse that they owned, it was a small hamlet complete with it’s own blacksmith, temple and even an infirmary. There were bound to be people there that would be expecting to see something of the noble Dulac line, so she couldn’t just show up in her normal work clothes. Leaning over to the window, she pulled the curtain aside, startled to see that everything around looked so dark even though it was midday. The moors looked heavy with fog and the trees along the sides of the road were tall but lean and crooked, looking more like giant hands that were ready to curl around the carriage and drag it into the fog.

Shifting in her seat, she put her hand down, wondering if she should bother the driver about what she was looking out at. The moors were bound to have fog because of the amount of water all around, but those trees looked like they were leaning towards monstrous and there was something about the shadows out there that made her skin start to crawl. Swallowing back the questions that came to mind, she absently curled her fingers around the gloves she carried. Twisting the leather between her palms, she tried to find some sort of light source or anything that looked brighter than the dim expanse around them. Her heart started to sink a bit when she saw nothing but the fog and darkness as far as she could see. She remembered her father telling her stories that had been passed down from his great grandfather, but those stories had never mentioned how desolate this hamlet looked. She could only hope that this was just a temporary thing and sunlight would soon burn away the fog and let her see how nice her new home could be. 

She had to bite down a yelp when she heard something thunk against the door of her carriage and quickly moved to pull the partition back to look out at the driver. As she was moving forward, the carriage jostled again and she heard the crack of a whip and whiney of the horses pulling her carriage. James groaned at her side and she put an arm around him as the steeds broke into a run. There was another thunk coming from behind them and Barbara squeezed her son close to her as he woke up a little more. 

"Mom?" 

"It's alright honey, just keep your head down." Barbara slipped a hand into her purse, feeling for something that could help them. 

The carriage continued to jostle side to side and she kept a hand on James' head to make sure he stayed down and away from the window line. Her eyes widened at the sharp crack of a gunshot sounding in the air and she screamed as the carriage lurched to her side. She could feel everything shifting as it began to tilt and she pulled James against her, her stomach tightening at the brief sensation of weightlessness. There was another shot fired as the carriage teetered for what felt like too long and then suddenly pushed over, sending the two of them hard against the wall of the carriage. Her purse flew to land on the floor and she closed her eyes against the pain that laced up her side. Breathing deep, she held tight to James and tried to listen to what was around them, the cold mud seeping through the window and sloughing against her jacket. She could feel James shaking against her and reached for her purse, motioning for him to be quiet. She could hear sounds outside the carriage and her hands shook as she reached up for the door so she could try to peek outside. 

Her blood ran as cold as the mud when she saw a pair of humans fending off what looked like rotund gargoyles of some sort. The humans didn't look very encouraging with their dirty clothes and well used weapons, but at least they were standing between her and those creatures. 

"Stay in the carriage." She murmured to James as she pushed on the door to get out. 

Her purse rattled at her side and she could feel that her hair had fallen down from its pinned style, the red tresses dark with mud. She was fairly certain her arm was bleeding but her jacket covered it so she could put that to the back of her mind until the pain kicked in. The man closest to her had a pistol in his left hand and a worn down looking dagger in his right. A scarf had been pulled up over the lower half of his face and she could see crows feet marking that he wasn't new to this world and its troubles. The other man with him had a mace in one hand and was using light swings and quick footwork to keep space between him and the creature attacking them. The two creatures that were attacking looked like they needed no armor to protect themselves and their weapons were ragged. What froze her for a moment, however, was seeing that one of the creatures had a glowing purple orb in its hands. She had only seen magic used sparingly in the last town she lived in, but she had read enough to know that the orb was nothing good. Stuffing her hand into her purse, she felt for the few vials she knew were there and tugged them out even as she ran up to the two men. The one closest to her turned and jolted in surprise when she uncorked a vial and held it up to his face. 

"I'm an alchemist," She explained quickly. "Breathe deep."

She was a little surprised when he offered no argument and didn't try to push her back. He simply tugged the scarf off to inhale properly, quickly pulling it back up once he was done and adjusting his grip as the effects took place. She continued forward to the other man, keeping low as the rogue stranger behind her adjusted himself and took a few shots before darting forward with his blade. The man with the mace looked at her in surprise and she gave him a quick look over before passing him one of her smallest vials. 

"Only a sip, it's a healing potion and it won't taste good." She passed it to him, uncorking the third vial and throwing it at the creature that was using magic. 

She watched the vial crash against stone skin and winced when it didn't seem to do anything but irritate the thing. The liquid inside should still be strong enough to work and she knew she had grabbed the right one. Her heart lifted a bit when she saw the first hints of smoke raising off the creatures hide. Even from a distance she could see that there were cracks starting to form on the things body where the vial broke and soon it was screaming in pain as its body began to crumble inwards. 

"What was that?!" The man with the mace looked at her in astonishment. 

"Acid. I wasn't sure how this travel would go and you never know what sort of brigands are on the road." Barbara lifted her chin a little bit, refusing to be embarrassed or shy about her skills and decisions. 

She was a tiny bit surprised when the man's expression shifted into something like awe and glee. There was another shot behind them as the other man took aim on the creature that was still standing and then came over to their side. 

"We should gather your things and start walking, where there are two of those things, there will be more." The lithe rogue spoke quickly. 

"Walk? But the horses--" She was dimly aware that the men were trying to stop her from turning around and her heart jumped at the sight there. Whatever magic had struck the side of the carriage had hit the horses and there was little left of them or the driver. "Gods above and below." 

She felt a hand on her shoulder and the voices of both men as they tried to offer some comfort. Or at least the man with the mace attempted to. The taller one was all business, wanting to get them moving and away from the area before anything else came out at them. Breathing through her mouth to try to avoid the smell of melting… whatever, she moved towards the carriage and slid the curtain of the window aside. 

"James… Jimmy honey, we've gotta go." 

"James?" The friendlier one sounded confused and made a quiet sound of pity when he saw her son crawl out of the carriage. 

"It's okay honey. It's gonna be alright." Barbara helped him up and kept herself between him and the sight of the creatures. "We need to grab our bags and get going, okay?"

Bless his heart, James never asked questions when she gave him directions. He turned and took the largest bag off the carriage so he could carry it, passing her one of the smaller ones. 

"We'll just take the essentials. Anything else, we'll have to replace." It hurt to say that when they had already sold off or left behind so much of their lives in their last home. As long as she had a few changes of clothes, her alchemy journals and the deed to the estate, she didn't need the rest.

"Walt and I can carry some as well, frau. It's not much, but we'll do what we can."

"I appreciate that. But please, don't burden yourselves. If we meet anything else on the road--"

"Then I'm sure we have quick enough reflexes to set down a bag before we protect you." The man's voice was soothing and she felt her heart squeeze from the unexpected kindness.

"Yes well, I suppose I only need one hand to shoot." The other man sheathed his knife before picking up a bag she knew had some of her alchemical ingredients. "James, pass that bag to Otto, you can carry two smaller ones and still do just as much."

"How far are we from home?" James frowned a bit but did as he was instructed by the stranger. 

"What is home?" Walt motioned for them to move out, his eyes keen ahead of them. 

Adjusting her bags a bit, Barb smiled. "Einnesmath, the Dulac estate."

The man stumbled and turned towards her and she could properly see just how dark green his eyes were when they went wide. "You are Madame Dulac?"

"I am."

"I heard nothing of the Lady Dulac being an alchemist." Otto piped up from just behind her. 

"Well I technically don't own an apothecary yet." She smiled softly, a little amused that she could surprise them both. 

"She's very good." She could hear the defensiveness in James' voice. 

"That I don't doubt." The man was so cheerful and ready to reassure no offense was meant. "But the Lady's title and her abilities were not mentioned in tandem."

"What has been said about me?" Barbara asked softly, her brow furrowed. 

"Nothing bad, madame." Walt seemed tense now, "but we thought you would be arriving with.. a butler perhaps? A lady in waiting or someone to announce you before you even arrived on the Old Mines road."

"My family hasn't had servants since my father was a boy." Barbara explained quietly as she avoided a pothole. "It's only myself and James."

"Then who will be helping you to keep the estate?" Walt looked dubious.

"I was under the impression that there weren't many in Einnesmath and that they could take care of things regarding their businesses."

"Yes but… the estate itself.." Otto looked troubled. "Lady Dulac, getting deeper into the estate would require aid."

Barbara felt her heart sink a little and she let out a slow breath. "The creatures here, they're not just on the roads are they?"

"I'm afraid not." Walt answered quietly. 

"How big is the hamlet?" James spoke up. "Is there a guard to protect it?"

"A voluntary crew like Otto and myself. It's not as though it's an easy job, and there's more dangers than there are rewards." The man scowled faintly like he'd just bitten down on something bitter. 

This wasn't going to be something as simple as taking their things to the estate and moving in. She had known there would be work for her to do around the hamlet, but there was no way she could have anticipated the monsters. Wincing, she felt the pain from the accident starting to kick in and looked over to Otto. James had moved up a bit so he was just behind Walt, walking with a resolute look on his face. 

"Frau, your arm." Otto spoke softly. 

"It's not that deep." She smiled to him, "The jacket took the worst of it and I expect that will be the only thing that needs stitches."

"If it bothers you, please, let us know."

"Can you tell me more about yourselves? About the hamlet?" Barbara gently shifted the conversation away from herself with a smile. 

She had always been told that her smile was something striking. Warm with a little hint of secrets, she was used to men staring at her when she gave them the focus of her attention. It wasn't as though she was doing something indecent, but she felt a hint of pride when Otto stood taller and let his steps take him a bit closer to her. Even under the heavy weight of the mace and the bag he stood as tall as he could. 

"The hamlet won't be anything like you're expecting, I can tell you that much. The homes that are there are built right alongside the businesses. The blacksmiths shop is right in front of his residence, for example. The tavern owner has her own set of rooms for her and her family, separate from the rooms where travelers can stay the night. Not that we get many of those. Because the old roads here are hard to get through, we are largely self sufficient and have been for a generation now. Getting items in trade would be too difficult. Which is why I do hope you have your alchemy supplies in one of these bags." Otto spoke softly, his accent making a few of his words thick but warming her heart. 

"Mr. Walt has one of my alchemy bags, it should have the basics in it, from there it's just a matter of working with what you have." Barbara gave him a determined smile. "The most important thing is learning how things react to each other, and I have many years of study and experience behind me." 

"Good. Good. There are some other things you should know about the people here. We are very close knit because of our situation. And it isn't only humans in the hamlet." Otto sounded a touch apologetic and when she glanced ahead she could see that Walt was scowling at him. 

"Alright… but the ones who live in the hamlet, they don't cause trouble--?"

"Nein, never." Otto interrupted quickly, looking like he was rilling up to go on the defensive, a familiarity in his stance that she saw in James. 

"Then I don't really need to know more, unless it has to do with how I can help them live in the hamlet." Barbara smiled at him. "I won't pretend this is going to be easy, or that I won't make mistakes. But I want to make a difference and help others. It's one of the reasons I studied apothecary in the first place."

Again, there was that soft expression of awe on his face and she blushed faintly from the gentle attention, raising a hand up to push some hair away from her face. That was when she really noticed the mud and made a face. 

"Is there hot running water..?" She winced, not sure how much this place would have. 

"We do, do not worry. I promise, we will make sure you are comfortable! After all, you are home now."

She pulled in a breath at this, her smile growing once more. This was the old home of the Dulac family. This was where she belonged wasn't it? Glancing ahead to where her son was walking beside Walt, her heart jumped when she saw how brightly James was smiling. Normally he could be so quiet that she worried he would simply fade into his books. 

"He might not look it but Walt has to be happy for this opportunity as well." Otto continued in his upbeat way. "There aren't any young children for him to teach so I'm sure he would love to have the chance to teach again."

"James has always been good with school. I'll have to set up some sort of schedule. Mr. Walt mentioned the guard work you do is voluntary and we shouldn't leave these roads without a patrol guard, right?" Her brow furrowed with worry and she felt her eyes pulled to the rogue as he gestured vaguely with the hand that held the bag, she could see his expression was starting to lighten as well as he seemed to be explaining something to James and she took just a moment to admire the fact that when he smiled his features started to soften.

“What about you, Mr. Otto? Do you do other work in the hamlet as well?”

“Nein, my sole focus is to protect the people around me.” Otto looked a bit bashful and shrugged a shoulder. “That and taking care of my little goblins.”

After seeing what she had tonight and hearing that there were others in the hamlet as well, she wanted to ask if he was being serious when he said that. Part of her knew that it didn’t really matter, as long as Otto kept them well trained, but the instinctive part of her insisted that goblins had to be watched, otherwise babies could get eaten or stolen out of their cradles.

“How… long have you had goblins?” She asked instead, trying to assuage her own doubts. This was a place she was going to have to live and create a real life in for her and her family. It was alright to have a few doubts but she needed to handle it carefully.

“You really want to know?” 

It must have been the right thing to ask because there was an honest eagerness in his round features. His eyes were bright behind his glasses, seeming to glow a bit in the dim light of the moors. Looking at him, she wasn’t sure how he became the one who dedicated himself to protecting the roads while Walt had apparently started out as a teacher. When she nodded, silent in her surprise, he seemed to blossom from the attention and he explained about the little creatures.

“I actually met them when I was very young. My childhood… not to put too fine a point on it, or to go into details that might make a gloomy place even gloomier, but it was not a happy one. There was many nights that I would go out into the woods away from my town just so I could feel like I could breath. And I met so many things out in the woods. Creatures, of course, because that’s only natural. Witches too, and other children or even mothers that needed their space away from husbands. And it was simple, you know. No one ever really talked about it, and we didn’t talk to one another much when we chanced to find each out other there. We were there to settle things inside of ourselves, and if we wanted to reach out we could. But we didn’t.” He seemed a bit flustered as he explained but she simply nodded, motioning for him to continue as they went around a bend in the road.

“So, I go out to the woods one day and I notice that there aren’t any of the usual creatures. It’s that kind of quiet that normally means there’s a bear or something around so I look to see where it might be if there is one. And that was when I saw one.. It… was starving. Goblins usually have long limbs, all gangly, but their bellies are usually fat from mushrooms or whatnot. This one was not. So I took some meat that I had brought with me, and placed it on a rock, then I went a few feet back and just sat down and ate my sandwich. I ended up doing that a few times and after a month or so I realized that the little ones were waiting for me. It fascinated me, I wanted to learn more, so I would go to the temple to find books to read about them. Which… didn’t always work out well. I was a raggamuffin. So most of my learning was from observing them directly, from interacting with them.”

“So… goblins aren’t just wild animals?” Barbara felt the noose around her heart starting to lighten and her breath came a bit easier.

“Oh no, they absolutely are.” Otto shook his head with a small laugh. “But with the right touch, a wild creature can be tamed.”

He looked ahead of them to where Walt was laughing as he spoke to James. He had seen many things in his days, but this was certainly something new and he hoped that if he left a good impression with the Lady Dulac she would stay. Waltholomew needed a student that he could pass on his teachings to, and the hamlet needed fresh blood.


End file.
